E3 2015 – Microsoft’s Top 5 Announcements

Given the amount of criticism that Microsoft have received over their last few conferences, they needed to do something big this year with the Xbox in order to make sure they didn’t slip further down the tables. They needed a big one and they produced just that, with huge games announced and demoed, as well as a whole host of hardware upgrades. It was a show that must have made Xbox One owners smile.

But what were our top 5 takeaways from such a list of amazing announcements? Well, we’ll try to give it a go.

5. New Elite Controller

Xbox have tried considerably over the last few years to be the place for the hardcore gamer. The type of person who plays the same game over and over again to be the best in the world. With the rise of E Sports, being associated with the competitive scene is more and more important. That’s why the announcement of an official elite controller coming from Microsoft stuck out to us. It’s Xbox saying they want the pro gamers on their console, and as a fan of accessories, I just want to own one now.

4. Gears of War 4

There were so many good demos and games at this year’s Microsoft conference, but they ended on one of the best. Gears 4 not only looks technically impressive, but it got us all interesting in Gears again, something we maybe lost after 3. The darker, grittier setting that the demo took place in looked amazing and the intrigue alone is enough to ship consoles, I’m sure. We look forward to hearing more about the debut of a new Gears for current gen.

3. The Number of Indie Games Shown

Supporting Indie has been a big battleground between Sony and Microsoft, with both of them giving conference space to showcase all the great indie games coming to each platform. Out of the two however, Microsoft really gave the time and showmanship to indie developers, and with demos of a few great looking games, 2015 looks like a great time for indie titles to be on the One.

2. HoloLens Demo

When it was first announced I knew a lot of people (myself included) that were very excited about this technology. It will still have to be seen if that tech is fully functional in the near future, but every time that it’s shown it only continues to amaze. That stayed true at this years E3 with Microsoft showing a fully working Minecraft demo. Not only can you turn any wall into a screen and play Minecraft traditionally, but you can also display on any surface in a LEGO style play-set view. Being able to drag your world around and become a God while your friends join you was one of the most technologically imperative things out of everything this E3.

1. Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility

At first it was just an announcement that you can play old games, but look beyond that and the fact you can now play 360 games on the One may have been the single biggest thing to come from Microsoft in a while. It’s a sign that the team at Xbox are listening and innovating for the players, a message that sorely needed to be sent. Beyond that, it now gives you hundreds more games to play on the One, adding multiplayer, streaming, recording and all the benefits of playing current generation to your 360 library.

There you have it! Do you agree with our list, or what would you add/change on yours? Let us know on our social media channels or in the comments below!